Welcome to the Charleston Adventure Guide’s Best Road Trips section. After conquering the outdoor adventures in Charleston, SC be sure to check out other great outdoor towns such as Asheville, NC and Chattanooga, TN. Check out the various outdoor adventures for Asheville, NC and Chattanooga, TN below.

Asheville, NC

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Just 3.5 short hours from the Charleston area, Asheville is the perfect yin to Charleston’s yang. While Charleston is flip flops and Bermuda shorts, Asheville is Birkenstocks and bike shorts. Oh yeah, Asheville has plenty of 6,000+ peaks to explore.

Head to Bent Creek-Bent Creek Experimental Forest encompasses nearly 6,000 acres within the Pisgah National Forest just 15 minutes outside of Asheville. Bring your mountain bike and tackle Green’s Lick. With 2.5 miles of advanced single-track that drops 800 ft. in a constant barrage of high berms, rolling whoop-dedos, and big jumps, Green’s Lick is a local favorite. For a nice run check out the Wolf Branch and Ledford Loop trails.

Explore the Blue Ridge Parkway-The Parkway stretches almost 500 miles along the Blue Ridge Mountains through North Carolina and Virginia. We recommend bringing your road bike and heading to the Looking Glass Overlook. You’ll pass several impressive overlooks, pedal through a handful of tunnels, and cap off the ride with a view of Looking Glass Rock, a towering dome of granite deep in Pisgah National Forest. If you want to check things out by foot, the Mountains to Sea Trail and the Sam Knob Summit Trail will treat you right.

Catch Some Whitewater-The Asheville area includes some world class rivers including the Nolichucky, Nantahala, French Broad and Green Rivers. We highly recommend getting on a river to experience some mountain adventure but we also recommend letting one of the local rafting companies take care of you. One of our favorites is the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

It’s About the Downtown-Aside from epic outdoor adventure, Asheville’s downtown scene is really what it’s all about. Spend some time downtown and catch a glimpse of the Friday night Drum Circle, numerous street corner musicians, and sample some local brew from the 7 local breweries. Be sure to check out RiverLink’s numerous river parks including the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay. Be on the lookout for a 2010 Brewery to Brewery Race Series.

Info: The Asheville Adventure Guide / 828-230-4510 / www.advguides.com/asheville/adventures/

Chattanooga, TN

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If dreadlocks and patchouli aren’t your thing, then head to the mountain town of Chattanooga, TN. While Chattanooga doesn’t actually sit at much elevation (Chattanooga at 600 ft./ Asheville at 2,000 ft.), it is surrounded by plenty of outdoor options.

Spend the Day on Lookout Mountain-Lookout Mtn. towers over the city at an elevation of 2,393 ft. and offers a wide range of activities. Head to Sunset Rock for a front row view of the sunset atop an 80 ft. cliff; check out the hang gliders at Lookout Mtn. Flight Park; and hike the Waterfall Trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Play Downtown-Chattanooga has embraced the riverfront area along the TN River by creating a number of parks as well as a riverside path. Coolidge Park offers grass fields, a climbing wall, and a carousel with hand carved animals. The TN Riverpark trail stretches 10 miles from the Chickamauga Dam to Ross’ Landing downtown.

Explore Raccoon Mountain-Raccoon Mountain is a recreational wonderland just 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga. With close to 18 miles of sweet single-track, this has become a local mountain biking hang-out. It sits atop the Tennessee River Gorge so check out the TN River Gorge Trail and bring your fly rod for some quality fly fishing opportunities.

Float the Tennessee River-The Tennessee River Blueway is a 50 mile stretch from the Chickamauga Dam to the Nickajack Dam. The gem of this adventure is that it takes you through the TN River Gorge-”The TN Grand Canyon.” The Gorge encompasses 27,000 acres and 26 miles of the river that in large part have been preserved
by the TN River Gorge Trust.

Info: The Chattanooga Adventure Guide / 828-230-4510 / www.advguides.com/chattanooga/adventures